2007 Christmas Letter

Christmas 2007

It’s so difficult to sit down to pen the happenings of the year especially when life is such a rush each day.

The other day, I sent my blog address to Donna, an ex-colleague and friend in Hong Kong. She told me that I should consider writing. This is not the 1st time she had told me. Her encouragement this time had inspired me to challenge myself to at least write a yearly letter starting from this Christmas. I know this is only a small step but it will also help me to connect to my relatives and friends especially those whom we seldom meet or have not met for ages.

Donna, thank you so much for your encouragement. Without it, I may not have penned this.

This year again, passes so quickly. Christy has finally returned to a half yearly check up after another exhausting year of many visits to the eye specialist at Singapore National Eye Centre.

Last Christmas (i.e. 2006) instead of having a good holiday rest at home which I had planned for, it turned up to be another blow. Christy hurt her left eye cornea last Christmas Eve during a Christmas celebration at her 2nd God Ma, Aunty May Ling’s home. She hurt her eye accidentally while playing. That night, she came home with her left eye a little red. By next evening, she was not able to see and I had to rush her to Emergency on Christmas Night.

End 2005 was already quite a disaster when Christy had hurt her left eye during our flight to Sydney. Please refer to my blog on “Grace Baptist Church Watchnight Service” on 31 Dec 2005 for details of my sharing.

While Christy was in the midst of nursing her eye, mum fell and broke her knee cap while walking home. Again, I had to go to Emergency, the 2nd time during last Christmas. A few days later, I broke my right wrist from a fall when I got out of the car park to buy food from market. I ended up last Christmas busy spending so many days and nights in the hospital for both mum and Christy, and also visiting both the doctor and a Chinese physician for treatment of my right wrist. To top all these, my helper, Daisy was home in Philippines for her holidays. During the two weeks, I am surprised that I was able to muster the strength to carry the wheel chair into and out of the car despite the pain in my wrist, to fetch mum to and from hospital. Mum had to be on wheel chair as she could not walk with a broken knee cap. Dad was not able to help me because he was suffering from a frozen shoulder.

By the time Daisy returned to Singapore, I was so happy that I gave her such a big hug at the arrival hall as I came to realize from these incidents that without her help all those past 4-1/2 years, life will be not be so comfortable for us at home. I was so worn-out during last Christmas that I kept hoping that the New Year 2007 will arrive soon!

Now 2007 is coming to a close and another New Year 2008 is opening. My right wrist has yet to heal completely after a year. Last weekend, Christy asked me to play badminton with her. This was about less than ten times of her 10 years that I had ever played badminton with her. When I hit the shuttlecock with the racquet, I still felt pain on my wrist that I had to resort using my left hand to play. Fortunately, typing does not use wrist otherwise I will not be able to work, let alone typing this letter.

In September, we had moved to another apartment within the same block of our old apartment. We now have a bigger space as previously, we did not expect dad and mum to stay with us so we felt congested in the old apartment. We are now much happier with our new home as we have more privacy in our own rooms. Time really passed and my parents had already stayed with us for 6 years since Christy was four.

Christy is already 10 years old and going to Primary 5 next year. On 2nd December, she had finally taken her step of obedience to be baptized. When Christy called on my mobile and requested me to meet her upstairs on the 1st floor just outside the church office, I was wondering what had happened as she had not done that before in her life. Usually, she would be busy playing with her friends after Sunday school. When we met, she broke the news that she is going to be baptized. The reason she did that was according to her own words, she wanted to see my smiling face as she knew that her baptism will give me joy. Instead, she was disappointed over my initial reaction as the news had caught me by surprise. Later, I managed to find my words and asked if any of her Sunday school mates will be baptizing too. She told me there will be two of them. I was not sure if she was doing it because of peer pressure.

Finally, after a good talk with her, I realized that she truly wanted to be baptized because she wants Jesus in her life forever to protect and guide her. I was so elated then that my little girl had finally made a decision of her own. Below are a few photos of her being interviewed by Elder Yap Kim Meng before her baptism and her baptism in water at Grace Baptist Church.

The Christmas tree is up again, shining brightly at the corner of the living room. Though it’s the same Christmas tree for the past seven years, the glow of the lights is so bright that when I sat on the sofa looking at it, I could not help thanking God for being so wonderful to sacrifice His One and Only Son for us so that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life(1).

Next week will be Christmas. My eldest brother will return from his sailing job on Christmas Day. We are planning to have a Christmas lunch at my home and I look forward to it as it will be the first time when most of my family members gather together except my two sisters, brother in-law and a niece who are overseas. In my family, only Christy and I, and one of my nieces, Sze Hwei believe in Christ but in Singapore, almost everyone celebrates Christmas.

With all the celebrations planned, we received news on 18 Dec that mum is at her advanced stage of liver cancer and surgery is no longer an option. The oncologist had told my sister who accompanied her that chemotherapy is also a slim chance for her at this stage. Mum is not feeling any pain and we were certainly surprised over the result.

When I heard the news, I felt so ashamed how I treated mum sometimes because of her unhygienic habits. But mum had been sick since we were young. Yet, how can I demand so much of her? Lord, only you can now save her. I know mum’s days are numbered. I know I can only plead with you Lord, for your mercy on her. Lord, would you please save mum?

Christmas is supposed to bring joy to the world. I wish I could feel the joy within me but somehow, I just could not and I don’t feel I deserve it. Lord, I felt I am now at a crossroad not knowing which way to turn? Would you please show me the way, Lord?

To you who is now reading my blog, may I wish you have found the way, the truth, and the life(2).

May I also take this opportunity to wish you and your family:

“A Wonderful Christmas & A Blessed New Year”!

In Jesus Love,
Regine

(1) John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

(2) John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

31 Dec 05-Grace Baptist Church Watchnight Service

Grace Baptist Church Watchnight Service Sharing

Good evening,

Firstly, I would like to thank the elders for your generosity and hospitality in hosting the dinner for us.

8 years ago, I had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour for He had shown me the Truth. Since then, I have been praying for Him to show me the Way. Sometime this year, I started to plan for migration to Australia by end of next year. From many incidents, I thought that this is the direction of the Lord.

Recently, Christy and I were supposed to have a holiday in Sydney and Adelaide. However, Christy had an eye injury on arrival in Sydney. She was then hospitalized on the 4th day of our arrival in Sydney and was then transferred to Mt Alvernia hospital in Singapore on the 6th morning. We had actually spent our holidays in hospitals and visiting the Singapore National Eye Centre for treatment.

While I’m on this, I would like to thank my Caregroup and all of you who have been praying for His Lord’s healing of Christy’s eye and also to specifically thank the following persons:

1. May Ling and Audrey for booking Mt Alvernia Hospital and waiting for us at Changi Airport to transfer us to the hospital in the early hours of the morning. Also, thank you for the comfort and care.

2. Wing Cheong for calling me about Christy’s condition. He had received an email from Ai Hwee who was at that time in Sydney and heard about it. He asked if he could distribute prayer support for Christy’s eye injury on the Watchman Prayer list. It was through Ai Hwee and his help that Christy and I have been covered by all your prayers.

3. Elder Teoh Swee Hin who called me at the hospital and told me that I should seek 2nd opinion after learning that Christy’s eye injury is not recovering well. Christy had already seen 6 specialists, 5 in Sydney and 1 in Singapore. Elder Teoh connected and made the appointment with his friend, Dr. Tan, the professor at Singapore National Eye Centre. Dr Tan discovered that both Christy’s corneas were not as sensitive as normal eyes which the other specialists were not able to detect thus they do not understand why she does not feel any pain during the whole crisis. Dr. Tan therefore was able to use a more appropriate treatment, i.e. to insert a bandaged contact lens onto her left eye. True enough, she does not feel any discomfort or pain in her eye. She had to keep it on throughout for about a week and since then, the ulcer has healed except for the scar. The Lord is indeed gracious and her vision has recovered except for slight astigmatism.

The injury was right on Christy’s left cornea and was affecting her vision. At one stage, she was only seeing colour and not form. It was only through this incident that I realize that Christy was born with anomaly in both eyes.

Sometimes I wonder if this anomaly is good or bad for her? Yes, she did not feel the pain but if she is hurt in her eye, she may not be able to know until she cannot see or when she or someone sees the change in the colour of her eye which was what had happened. Dr. Tan thinks that this incident could be recurrent cornea erosion which may occur in future so Christy has to be careful. Meantime, she is not allowed to swim for a while and should wear sunglasses if she goes out in the hot sun.

This experience was certainly taxing for me but I’ve learned a lot from it and in fact I felt that without His strength and His provision, and all your prayers and assistance, I would not be able to sustain. Throughout this incident, I was claiming on His Promise in 2nd Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” It was also through this experience that I felt the warmth and affection of the church members. Many of you (some whom I don’t even know) have called, sms, and some who were not able to contact me personally, had passed messages through members that you are praying for Christy. It was indeed comforting to know that the Lord has placed you all to cover us in your prayers.

I believe the Lord had allowed this incident to happen for a purpose and He has a reason for it. I am now not sure if migration to Australia is His direction. Earlier this year, I have decided to forego my job and what I think is a more comfortable life here to follow what I think was His Way (which was why I took a month’s holiday to go to Australia to try to find a school for Christy, if we should live in Sydney or Adelaide, and also to discover for myself how I should cope there as the last time I lived there was 14 years ago.) However, through this incident, many friends and also my siblings who have previously supported my decision are now asking me to re-consider my decision of migrating to Australia. I can only continue to pray for His Grace and Healing of Christy’s eye and also His Way on our future plan.

Thank you all of you again, for praying for us.

May all of you have “A Blessed and Wonderful New Year!”

In Christ,
Regine

31 Dec 2005

Testimony

I’m glad to be able to share with you my experience with the Lord Jesus.

It goes back to my childhood days when I was in Primary school. I used to have a teacher who taught me about Jesus and his Word almost every Sunday for a couple of years.

During my childhood, my mum was sick and my dad had to engage Chinese mediums and Malay mediums (Bomohs) to get rid of the evil spirit from my mum and my home. Usually, when the medium came to my home, all the family members had to gather in my parents’ bedroom to pray. I was exposed to God’s teachings then so I insisted on staying alone in the living room to pray to the Lord. My prayer was: “Get away Satan, Jesus Christ is here!” which was what the teacher taught me.

My relationship with God strained day by day due to family objection and also, I moved on to Secondary school and was very much involved in many school activities that I began to pray less and less. Until one day, I prayed to God that I will only return to Him if He shows me the Truth. Since then, I stopped praying daily. I was about 13 years old then.

As I started work, I began to worship the “Chinese gods” in temples.

When an ex-colleague was distressed about her job, I brought her to my regular place of worship, the “Waterloo Street Goddess of Mercy” temple to pray. While we were there, I introduced her to a lady fortune teller situated outside the temple, to ask her to arrange for prayer for protection of enemies for my friend. The fortune teller wrote the personal particulars of my friend on a set of incense papers and then passed them to a lady medium. She then led us to a HDB shop house opposite the temple to pray. The prayer process was burning the set of incense papers with the lady medium chanting in chinese, a prayer for protection of enemies for my friend while my friend kneeled and worshiped in front of several “Chinese gods”. At the end of the chanting, my friend had to take off her sandals to beat the set of incense papers. This action signifies “Thrashing of her enemies”! I worshiped this once before end of each year because I was told it was called “Payback” for the year of blessings and it will also protect me from enemies in the following year.

I had an overseas colleague who enjoys visiting places of worship. One day, when she was in town, I brought her to almost all the Chinese temples in Singapore for worship. It also happened to be the day of Thaipusam so we went to an Indian Temple in Little India to watch the Thaipusam preparation. We saw the male worshippers piercing their tongues, cheeks, and bodies with some sharp objects to enable them to carry their Kavadi.

I also followed my friend to worship at Novena Church occasionally and attended other Christian churches for friends’ weddings and baptisms.

One day, my friend tried to preach to me about Christ. I remembered how sarcastically I was by telling her I know more about Christ than her and even told her that if Her God is so Almighty and that if she dies and goes to Heaven, then she should throw a ladder down for me to climb up.

In my mind for about 27 years, I was not against anyone praying their own gods as my belief was everyone is praying to the same God in accordance to their customs.

In addition, I committed sins without realising that they were sins. Even though my conscience told me they were wrong doings, I just shrugged it off without feeling guilty about it.

In fact I was actually wondering aimlessly without direction since I was about 13 years old. However what I’m going to share with you next has actually transformed my life.

It all happened in HongKong when I was working there.

On Sat 22 February 1997, I brought my two sisters who visited me in HongKong to the famous “Wong Tai Sing” temple to pray. At that time, I had just discovered I was pregnant (though I was not married – another sin which I’d committed without realising it was a sin) so I also prayed for the well being of my child.

However, I caught a virus on Tue 25 Feb 1997 while in Seoul. I had to finish my work so I persisted until my return to HongKong on Fri 28 Feb 1997. That night, I called my only friend in HongKong whose wife coincidentally works in a hospital. I told him of my plight and I was getting weaker and losing energy each day. I did not go to the hospital that night as I thought my suffering was due to morning sickness (first time I was pregnant so I had no experience) so I told him I could wait till next morning.

On Sat 1 March 1997, I was finally hospitalised in HongKong, diagnosed with a virus attack and a fever of 39.5 C. I was already 5 weeks pregnant and to protect my unborn child, the gynaecologist could only prescribe me a maximum of 2 panadols. My left hand was also put on “intravenous drip” as I was not able to take in much food orally. On the day of my hospitalisation, I had already lost 5 kg. in the last 5 days which affected my speech and walking as most of my energy had been drained so I was completely bed-ridden.

On the 3rd morning (just past midnight) of my stay in hospital, I encountered a few Caucasian spirits. I was confused then that I asked these spirits to help my recovery. I wanted to share what I saw with someone so I made an overseas call to a friend. Instead she told me, “Regine, you should pray to God”.

A short while after I hanged up the phone, the same Caucasian spirits appeared again. This time, I suddenly remembered my childhood prayer “Get away Satan, Jesus Christ is here!” and I kept praying this sentence. The spirits disappeared after a couple of minutes. I was too exhausted then and I fell asleep soon after.

The morning when I woke up, I had forgotten how Christ had helped me overcome the ordeal of getting rid of the spirits. My condition had still not improved and my fever still remained at 39.5 C.

On the 1st hour of my 5th day stay in hospital, something happened that changed my whole life. I saw a bright white light with the following visions appearing consecutively:

1st vision - Jesus Christ standing with open arms
2nd vision - Christ standing in the water
3rd vision - Christ climbing a mountain
4th vision - Christ squatting down and lots of white sheep moving towards Him
5th vision - A lady carrying a baby
6th vision - Angels with wings flying
7th vision - Jesus Christ appeared again and slowly his vision became smaller like a portrait

The visions were so bright and so white that they seemed like paradise. Instinctively, I knew that Jesus Christ is the TRUE GOD and I automatically confessed out of my breath: “Thank you God for forgiving my sins and taking me back. You are so wonderful to give me another chance. My child and I accept you as our Saviour from this very moment.”

All this time, He did not speak to me but I could feel his presence as my right hand kept raising automatically towards Him. The visions ended with both my hands clasped together on my chest (in prayer) even though my left hand was on “intravenous drip”. After that, I experienced a complete peace all over me that was never felt before in my life. Also, I felt that I have recovered.

When the nurse took my next temperature, my fever actually dropped from 39.5C for the first time since my hospitalisation. The gynaecologist and the nurses even commented that I was cured miraculously. My condition improved day by day. I even told the gynaecologist to change the hospital registration of my religion to “Christian” instead of “Nothing” which was what I told the nurse on the 1st day of my admission to the hospital. On the 10th day, I was discharged from the hospital.

I joined Grace Baptist Church through my ex-classmate. I also joined a Caregroup, formed with some members of the church. In 1998, we studied a book titled “Experiencing God”. One of the units in the book mentioned “God has his own timing”. I certainly agree with it as He had chosen to answer my childhood prayer when I most needed Him.

Thanks to the Lord’s mercy and grace, my sickness had not affected my daughter. She is going to be 10 this year.

In December 1999, I shared my experience with a colleague visiting from China. Later in early 2000, she wrote to me that she believed in Christ. I was so happy for her and I shared the joy with another Christian colleague. My colleague asked me if I had led her into saying the “Sinner” prayer. I did not understand what it was until she said the prayer. Only then did I realise that I did say my “Sinner” prayer on the day I saw the vision of Christ without realising that it was the “Sinner” prayer. It took me more than 2-1/2 years to understand what I had prayed was the “Sinner” prayer.

During Chinese New Year 2000, I shared my testimony with a widow whose late husband was a pastor. After my sharing, she asked if there was a waterfall behind the vision, “Christ standing in the water”. I was so joyful with tears that the Lord Christ led me to someone who had experienced the same vision as me. She had seen the same vision numerous times, the 1st time when she was a child praying in a church and many times while playing the piano. She also told me on that day, that the vision of “Christ standing in the water” was Christ was cleansing my sins and that was why I experienced the beautiful peace.

There was once when I shared my testimony, a person commented that she does believe in Christ but this does not mean she needs to go to a Church to show it. What she said was to some extent correct as each of us has our own unique and personal relationship with Christ. It is not the religion. We can pray to Him at anytime and anywhere.

The reason why I go to Church is to hear more about His Word, doing worship and praise, and to have fellowship with God-loving people. I find these activities help in my spiritual growth. Five days of working in a secular world is really tough to live Christ-like. It is not going to the Church that will make one holy. It is our own relationship with Christ that matters most and this involves prayers, hearing His Word, and living Christ-like.

I know it is not easy for some of you to believe what I’m sharing today and may even think that my encounter with God may be just a hallucination. But I KNOW Christ Is Real which is why I have this passion in me to share my experience with as many people as possible irrespective they are believers or non-believers. I know our Lord Christ will help us if we call upon HIM.

I know it is difficult to reach out especially to non-believers, including my family members as it too takes me almost 27 years to return to the Lord however, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.







I like to conclude by sharing a few verses in the Bible:

John 20:29

“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

So what do those believers who have not seen but believed, have? Yes, they have faith.

Some people after hearing my testimony may have the wrong perception and will choose to wait for the Vision of Christ. But each one of us is unique so Christ works in us differently.

Even though I have seen the Visions, I have slackened in my faith so many times. Yet, the Lord is forever faithful. I am indeed much thankful to the Lord for His grace and mercy and for leaving His message in John 20:29.

Often I heard people mentioned that the Bible is God’s living word. Now I understand what it means. This message in John 20: 29 is so alive in me today.

His message in 2nd Corinthians 5:7 affirmed that it is faith not sight that we walk with Christ.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight”.

So now you may ask how do we have faith?

Romans 10:17

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”

The word of God is the Bible, God’s living word.

In conclusion, I like to share a message in the Bible, which has always been dearest to my heart since childhood:

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I pray for the Lord’s grace, mercy and peace be with you in truth and love.

In Jesus Christ precious name. Amen.

Regine

Dated : 5th March 2007
(Today, coincidentally is my daughter, Christy and my 10th anniversary of salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ)

Beauty of God's Creation

Hi,

Each morning I kneel down by the window in my master bedroom and pray. Before I pray, I will look upwards to the sky and then tilt my head downwards. One morning, after I prayed, I looked upwards to the sky and saw an amazing glow from the sun.

Quickly, I took my camera to shoot it. Amazingly, I saw another ray of light that is vertical and seems to cut through the sun from the camera lens though I cannot see it from my naked eyes.

I did not know "Sun Rise" is so beautiful until that morning. Unfortunately, my camera was not able to capture the vertical ray of light however surprisingly, it captures the "Moon Set" next to "Sun Rise".

I am so glad to be able to share with you, "The Beauty of God's Creation".

God Bless,
Regine

Hello

Hi Everyone,



Mama has a Blog!

Mummy is on Christy's right. God-Ma No. 2, May Ling on Christy's left and God-Ma No. 1, Audrey next to God-Ma No. 2